Bonnie's Blog

True prosperity is the manifestation of faith, not money. Jesus showed us the way when a crowd of five thousand gathered and needed to be fed. Jesus took five loaves and two fish and turned to God. Jesus acknowledged God with gratitude and blessed the food before Him. Jesus anticipated a miracle and it happened. You are the example of Jesus as you give thanks for your abundance and you share your abundance with others who are ceaselessly praying for a miracle. Whether it's donating to a food bank, visiting with a shut in or giving back in any other way that can benefit another, you are their miracle. Bless someone with your generosity. You live in faith and you use your faith to serve God.

This message is simple. It's straight from the Holy Bible. There is nothing more to add. May you all have a peaceful Christmas!!

From Luke 2:4-20, we read, "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I love being in God's service. There is no better place for me...no better way for me to live. With that said, I'm at a place in my life where I am living Matthew 10:14 - "If anyone will not welcome you... leave.. and shake the dust off your feet." I choose to love and to live as Jesus loved and lived. Jesus was often questioned and judged for whom He chose to be seen with. He shared food, time and space with folks that He was warned to steer clear of... people with questionable lifestyles and people that society didn't accept. It's not an easy way to live, but it is the right way for me to live. I choose to "love my neighbor as myself" and to love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, mind and entire being. This is who I am. I am in God's service.

St. Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone around the year 1181. Francis' father was a very wealthy, very shrewd businessman who was a silk merchant. Francis' father nicknamed him "Francesco" which means "the Frenchman" because much of his success came from doing business in France where his silk was in great demand. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history and there is no record that he was ordained. Francis was a preacher and founder of several religious orders along with Chiara Offreduccio who is better known as St. Clare of Assisi. Prior to his conversion, Francis lived the high-spirited life of a wealthy young man with lots of wine, women and song that not only lasted well into the night, but his partying was said to carrying on for days at a time. Francis was a fighter who enlisted as a soldier fighting for Assisi as well as an arms merchant. Francis was a genius when it came to creating weapons for war again Perugia. In 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him home to Assisi where he put aside his worldly life, began living in poverty, began his life as a street preacher and gathered followers eager to preach the Good News of Christ. In 1228, Francis was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory IX less than two years after his death in 1226.

The St. Tammany Humane Society, located in Covington, Louisiana, is located on what is locally affectionately called Dog Pound Road (it's actually Harrison Ave.). The St. Tammany Humane Society is the only no-kill animal shelter in the parish (Louisiana's counties) of St. Tammany and one of the largest in the state of Louisiana. STHS has a low-cost veterinary clinic. The mission of STHS is to save the life of every adoptable animal in the local community through education, adoption, and spaying/neutering. The St. Tammany Humane Society does not receive any tax-payer funds and operating costs are met by donations, fundraisers and income from the vet clinic. The St. Tammany Humane Society is active in working towards a goal of becoming a No-Kill Parish (County). On Saturday, September 27th from 7pm-11pm, STHS will host their annual large fundraiser called, "Unleashed 2014" which will be held at the Vintage Court in Covinton, Louisiana. Once a year, the staff, supporters and animal lovers of St. Tammany come together and have a great time for a great cause. The evening offers complimentary food from the finest local restaurants, silent auction items (many tailored to the hopelessly inclined animal lovers!) and great music by Bobby Cure and The Poppa Stoppa Band. In this coming year, STHS celebrates 61 years in operation!! It is through the love and support of our local community as well and the love and admiration of those from afar, that STHS has been so wonderfully successful in saving countless lives each and every year. If you'd like to be a part of this FUN fundraiser by contributing a silent auction item or attending this event, please visit www.sthumane.org.

Dogs are truly our teachers!! We care for them by providing them food and shelter and what we get in return is amazing!!! We get loyalty, trust, love and we also get lessons on life from them that no other can teach us. But, what happens when life doesn't go as it should for them as they are growing older...owners die, families lose their homes, people lose interest...and these beautiful dogs end up on the streets or in animal control where their fate is often sealed with a euthanasia date. Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary of Mt. Joliet, Tennessee has created lifetime homes for senior dogs within a 100 mile radius of their home-based sanctuary. Currently, they have 37 dogs on-site and about 50 dogs in forever foster homes. Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary strives to raise awareness of the joys and challenges of living with aging dogs. According to Zina Goodin, "While never forgetting where these dogs have come from, we want to emphasize the positive aspects of their life in retirement." Old Friends Senior Dog Santuary provides for each of these dogs a loving home, good food, high quality vet care, compassion and comfort to these beautiful dogs for the remainder of their lives. No matter where you are, you can help Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary by being a part of their upcoming fundraiser on Friday, October 10, 2014 by logging onto www.dogartforoldfriends.org. You can also visit them on their website at www.ofsds.org or simply go to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OldFriendsSeniorDogSanctuary and give them a LIKE. The Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary creedo is "We do not concern ourselves with the quantity of time that they have left, rather the quality of life that we can provide them for that time." God bless you, Zina. God bless the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary.

About 10 years ago, Jessica DeVun noticed that her aging dog was needing help. Jessica took it upon herself to discover everything that she could about nutrition for dogs and cats!! She read books, consulted with veterinarians and pet nutritionists and decided that there had to be a better way than kibble-in-a-bag. Jessica began creating her own foods for her beloved dog and, over-time, began seeing improvements in her dog's quality of living that she had not seen in a while. Jessica's work with her own dog became the basis for her creation of TIGER BAIT Raw Whole Foods For Pets. TIGER BAIT provides complete and balanced nutrition for dogs, cats, and other carnivores using a recipe made by nature itself. Her recipe is made from 10 all-natural and organic human-grade ingredients, packaged raw, and frozen to preserve freshness and is modeled on the prey diet, using only the highest quality ingredients like whole ground fresh raw chicken and organ meats, organic Hawaiian spirulina and hand-whipped raw whole local organic yard eggs, TIGER BAIT is designed 100% with your pet's total health in mind. TIGER BAIT'S growing line of products includes a variety of treats, skin care products, and dog chews. TIGER BAIT is available in three convenient sizes and can be purchased Farmers' Markets at the Mandeville (Louisiana) Trailhead or Covington (Louisiana) Trailhead on Saturdays. TIGER BAIT can be purchased any time from Good Dog Naturally in Covington, Louisiana. If you are not local to Louisiana, then you can visit www.goodeggs.com/tigerbaitto have TIGER BAIT delivered directly to you!! You can also contact Jessica by email at [email protected]and let her know your questions. Jessica DeVun is dedicated to creating the best product for your pets!!

We all need a break from time-to-time. Sometimes, that break can do a lot to "break" the bank!! Frugal Family Travelers was created to keep that from happening. Frugal Family Travelers provides much information for you and your family to create that break, that time away, that much needed vacation and still have a few dollars left in your pocket. You can find Frugal Family Travelers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/frugalfamilytravelers or visit their blog at frugalfamilytravelers.blogspot.com. You can get great ideas on vacation get-aways, stay local for stay-cations or taking a weekend jaunt for adventure and/or relaxation. Pay Frugal Family Travelers a visit and I promise that you won't regret. They are helping us by saving our pennies as well as working to secure a more secure, sound environment...all through frugal traveling!!

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dawn Michael, president of The Rescued Rescuers: Dachshunds and Friends of the Emerald Coast. They are located in the panhandle of Florida and they were founded to rescue dachshunds and occasionally other breeds that are in need of loving, safe and healthy homes. Their mission is to save dogs in kill shelters, turned over by their owners, or confiscated by the authorities from "backyard breeders". They are not a shelter, but a network of volunteer fosters working together to provide safe, nurturing family environments until the dogs are adopted into their forever homes. Every dog is vetted which means that they are cared for by a trusted veterinarian providing each dog with good and complete medical care. The Rescued Rescuers are not just about fostering dachshunds, however. They are also about creating a community from their own community in the way of FUNdraisers!! They have a full slate of events that are meaningful to those looking to add to their family as well as those who are seeking a good time while in the company of these fun dogs!!! For more information on The Rescued Rescuers, please visit their website at http://werescuedogs.org/ You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheRescuedRescuers

We can all make a difference in our own way. It may re-creating the capacity to care for someone in need. It may be opening our eyes to the plight of those around us. Somehow, someway, we can take those qualities that are deep within us and rise above the negative to create - once again - the virtues that make us uniquely, compassionately human. On Monday, July 7th, beginning at 7am your time, I am asking that you create within your own minds thoughts of compassion and peace. It may be lighting a candle. It may be taking a few moments to clear your mind in meditation. It may be saying written prayers. It may be just what you need in that moment because it may be as simple as stopping... negative thoughts, stopping angry words, stopping... before beginning a new day of peace, hope, and love for yourself and all of God's creation. Together, we can quietly create peace... even if it's just for one day.